The narrow victories are particularly important – especially for team morale. That’s why today’s 4:3 victory of the blue and whites against very strong and compact “Haie” from Innsbruck counts for a lot. Incidentally, the game winner was achieved by Nicolas Mattinen, and Anthony Luciani also scored a “double pack”!
The match against the second in the table from Innsbruck began with a lightning start from the “Adler”: Arturs Kulda brought the disc in front of the goal of “Haie” goalie Thomas McCollum in the second minute, where Anthony Luciani was spot on and sunk the disc completely from the air spectacular for an early 1-0 lead. However, the guests fought back after the early shock and used a majority game in the 9th minute to equalize 1:1. Corey Mackin scored the goal. As a result, the blue and whites took over more and more command and created some good chances to score, but nobody wanted to score another goal in the first 20 minutes.
In the middle section, the blue and whites increasingly increased the pressure, repeatedly constricting the guests in their own third. But Innsbruck always remained dangerous with fast counter-attacks. Pretty balanced, at least up to the 29th minute, when Robert Sabolic sunk a wonderful pass from Arturs Kulda through the entire third with a one-timer crack in the near corner – 2:1. Innsbruck goalie McCollum had absolutely no chance. But the reaction of the guests was not long in coming: in the 32nd minute, Martin Ulmer made it 2-2 for the Tyroleans. After that, this match went back and forth, both teams didn’t hide, they wanted to win. The “Adler” a bit more: They use a power play – Anders Krogsgaard had to go to the penalty box for two minutes because of a handicap – with a real dream move: Robert Sabolic brought the disc to Simon Despres, who staged John Hughes and he in turn served Anthony Luciani perfect, who was able to slide into the empty goal. A dream goal for a 3:2 lead.
In the final third, the blue and whites started with a three-minute residual power play – Tyler Cuma was sent into the cool box by the referees shortly before the end of the middle section for holding and subsequent criticism with a 2+2 minute penalty. But the advantage soon turned into a four-on-four on the ice, as Andrew Desjardins was also sent to the penalty box for tripping. But the “Adler” continued to play happily forward, in the 42nd minute Philipp Linder had the next good chance to score, but his shot just missed the goal of the guests. However, they showed themselves ice cold in the counterattack: Helewka, numerically outnumbered after losing a disc in the attacking third, moved to JP Lamoureux alone and made it 3:3 (43rd). But the “Adlers” didn’t give up, tucked away the goal immediately and found the right answer: On the power play, Alexander Rauchenwald served Nicolas Mattinen, who put the ball in the net – 4:3 (48th). And Chris Collins almost made the preliminary decision from an almost impossible angle with the 4:2, but the supposed goal of the blue and white was not recognized by the referees. So it remained with the narrow victory of the blue and white!
EC iDM heat pumps VSV – HC TIWAG Innsbruck 4:3
Tore: Luciani (2nd, 35th), Sabolic (29th), Mattinen (48th); Mackin (9th), Ulmer (32nd), Helewka (43rd SH)
Photos: VSV/Krammer